Question: A bowling ball cannot weigh more than 16 pounds and must have a diameter of $8 \frac{1}{2}$ inches. How many square inches are in the surface area of a bowling ball before the finger holes are drilled? Express your answer as a common fraction in terms of $\pi$.
Solution: The surface area of a sphere with radius $r$ is \[4\pi r^2.\]  The sphere in question has diameter $8\frac{1}{2}=\frac{17}{2}$, radius $\frac{17}{4}$, and surface area  \[4\pi\left(\frac{17}{4}\right)^2 = \frac{17^2}{4}\pi = \boxed{\frac{289\pi}{4}}.\]